Fresh appeal for Milo’s special chair

Andrew Coulson

The family of Milo Browne has thanked the people who have donated money towards a vital piece of equipment that ‘would make a massive difference’.

And it is hoped that further pledges will enable the fund-raising target to be met.

The six-year-old is at risk of choking to death on a daily basis because he does not have a specialist seat to keep him in position and prevent his spine from curving.

Milo has a degenerative condition that is so unique there is no actual diagnosis and he regularly has to go to hospital.

He is also registered blind and his arms and legs jerk uncontrollably, making it hard to keep him in a safe position.

A ‘functional chair’ from North Tyneside Council helps his posture and is used when he is taking part in activities with his siblings Felix, seven, and Mia, 11, but it is too painful for him to use for more than a few hours at a time.

His parents, Laura Davidson and Stephen Browne, want to get him a specialist chair that is similar to an armchair, which he can use when he is not doing activities and would be resting.

They currently prop Milo – who turns seven in June – up on the sofa, but it puts him at risk of choking on his own saliva and they can’t leave him alone for a second.

They have teamed up with disabled children’s charity Newlife for the chair appeal.

Laura said: “The functional chair is useful as it keeps him in position, but we also need a comfortable one that does the same thing when he needs to come out of the functional chair.

“It would make a massive difference because at the moment, we are constantly having to monitor his position and breathing when he is propped up on the sofa.

“The amount of people who have donated and helped us over the years has been amazing. For example, the support for the sensory room for Milo appeal was fantastic.

“We’ve led the fund-raising ourselves in the past, but we haven’t had as much time over the last 18 months as we concentrated our efforts on getting him into a new school, so we’re grateful to Newlife for helping to raise awareness of why we need the specialist chair.”